LAPT7 Chile: Nine remain, Perez leads

That's right... they've gone from 14 down to nine in a flash here at the LAPT Chile Main Event, taking a little over half an hour to do so. The remaning nine players are reassembling around a single table to play down to eight, and with one more elimination play will end for Day 3.

As Level 24 began, Luis Lepori had to commit a short stack with 8♣7♦ against the A♦K♣ of Rafael Pardo, and when the board didn't help Lepori the Chilean was out in 14th ($8,980).

Alas for Pardo -- also still short -- his fortune was short-lived as soon after he ran A♠Q♠ into the A♥K♦ of Amos Ben, and the Colombian was bounced in 13th ($10,260).

Rafael Pardo

Within moments Thien Doan of the Dominican Republic had followed Pardo railward in 12th ($10,260), then it was the Peruvian Walid Mubarak all in with J♣J♥ against the A♦Q♣ of Rodrigo Perez. The 4♦2♥A♥5♦5♥ board was bad for Mubarak, pairing Perez and ending his run in 11th ($12,260).

Walid Mubarak

Soon the Brazilian Pedro Dib was moving all in from under the gun for his last 263,000. The raise nearly made it through the table, but Mario Lopez called from the big blind. Dib had picked up an ace with A♣7♦, but so did Lopez who had a better kicker with A♦T♠.

The board only improved Lopez, coming J♠T♦5♠8♦K♥, and Dib was done in 10th ($12,260).

Pedro Dib

The pace has been breath-taking today, with 23 eliminations in just over four hours. No surprise, perhaps, that the pause here before play resumes for the final nine is stretching out a bit as everyone enjoys a brief respite from the action.

Here's how the chips and seating will look when they get back to it, with Rodrigo Perez in front: